About the Medway Campus

Medway Campus

Located on the Kent coast, approximately 30 miles from central London, this splendid Edwardian redbrick and ivy-clad campus – dating from 1903 – has benefited from £50 million in investment since 1996. It is home to the Faculty of Engineering and Science, and also hosts programmes from
the Faculty of Education and Health.

Extensive new purpose-built laboratories and research facilities have been opened at Medway. The centrepiece of the campus is a magnificent learning resource centre, the Drill Hall Library, converted from a naval drill hall and offering 100,000 square feet of space. It houses a library,
computers, study areas and teaching rooms. The Pilkington Building next door, converted from the naval canteen, contains a lecture theatre, exhibition space, teaching rooms and a bistro-style café. Pilkington is used to host a variety of events, from the annual Christmas Dinner and Dance to Robot Wars.

Study facilities

The Medway Campus has benefited from a recent renovation of many of its principal laboratories and teaching spaces. From the state-of-the-art computing facilities in the Nelson Building to the specialist engineering laboratories in Hawke, you will find all the industry-standard facilities required
to support the delivery of the full range of engineering and science degree programmes on offer.

In addition to the laboratories, the campus is also home to the Wolfson Centre, which is one of only three research centres in the world specialising in bulk solids handling. The Natural Resources Institute was the recent recipient of the Queen's Anniversary Prize for excellence in research and
development on cassava, an important food security crop in Africa.

Furthermore, the campus is also host to many bespoke research facilities, such as:

The largest ground slab tester in Europe.

A fully functional anechoic chamber.

A wide range of spectroscopy
and microscope platforms.

A robotics laboratory (including RoboThespian and a wide range of advanced prostheses).

3D whole body movement trackers and force analysis equipment.

Social facilities

The campus boasts a good mix of social and leisure facilities on site, from a mix of café's, bars and restaurants to sports facilities. A brand new £4 million student centre will be opening in September 2016 and will form the new focus of student social activity on campus.

The campus also has access to many other facilities on its doorstep. The Historic Dockyard in Chatham is over the road. It was here that HMS Victory was built and where Lord Nelson boarded his first ship. The Dockside Outlet Centre is within easy walking distance and includes a multiscreen
cinema, restaurants and access to the marina. Medway Park, also on the campus' doorstep, is the local flagship £11m centre of sporting excellence and is an inspiring environment where you can share top-class community sports facilities with national and international athletes.

Around the campus

Medway is an amalgamation of five separate towns in Kent: Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Strood and Rainham. Each area has its own unique history.

Rochester, a couple of miles to the east of the campus, is home to a historic castle and cathedral. Rochester Castle was the scene of a bitter siege in 1215 that was instrumental in the run up to the signing of Magna Carta. Rochester Cathedral is England's second oldest, dating back to 604
A.D and is also the venue for the annual Medway Campus graduation ceremonies. Rochester was also home to Charles Dickens for many years and stages events throughout the year, including music concerts and Victorian-themed Dickens festivals. In Chatham itself, you can find shopping centres and high street
stores, while Rochester offers a range of quirky shops along its cobbled high street.

For those interested in watching sport, the nearest football league ground is Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium; Kent plays county cricket at Tunbridge Wells and Canterbury; and the Invicta Dynamos ice hockey team
play regularly at the Silver Blades Ice Bowl in Gillingham.